AB1158 FATIGUE IN ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH DISEASE ACTIVITY BUT NOT IN PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS
Authors: S. Rodriguez-Muguruza, S. Castro Oreiro, M. J. Poveda, N. Del Castillo, S. Paredes, D. Taverner, R. Fontova
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Fatigue is a common symptom in chronic inflammatory diseases. The mechanism by which fatigue occurs is multidimensional. Previous studies suggested that several factors, including physiology, psychology and behavior, may contribute to its pathogenesis. Fatigue is considered one of the most common symptoms in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) with an incidence of 50–70%. Fatigue is a major factor contributing to unsatisfactory treatment outcome and poor quality of life, or even disability. Therefore, from a clinical point of view, how to improve the symptom of fatigue remains a challenge. Identifying factors related to fatigue could be a key to the management of this complex symptom. <h3>Objectives</h3> To compare fatigue and its associated factors in patients with PsA and AS from two university hospitals. <h3>Methods</h3> A cross-sectional analysis was performed in 105 patients (May – December 2022) Fatigue was assessed using 3 instruments: the fatigue subscale of the Short-form 36 survey (fatigue-SF36), the Visual Analogue scale of fatigue (VASf) and the Functional Assessment of chronic illness Therapy Fatigue Scale (FACIT-F). T-test was used to compare mean fatigue between PsA and AS patients. To determine in each patient group the relationship between fatigue (assessed by FACIT-F) and the other variables (DAPSA or ASDAS, CPR, ESR, hemoglobin, HAQ, Hospital Anxiety and depression Scale [HAD] and Brief Pain Inventory [BPI]) a Spearman correlation was performed. A value of p &lt; 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. <h3>Results</h3> A total of 105 patients were included, 55 (52.4%) PsA patients and 50 (47.6%) AS patients. We found that mean fatigue (using 3 instruments) had not significant differences in patients with PsA and AS (Table 1). In patients with PsA and AS, fatigue correlated to HAD, HAQ and pain, but not with CRP, ESR and hemoglobin (Table 2). In AS patients, high disease activity (assess by ASDAS) correlated with high levels of fatigue (lower levels on FACIT-F). However, in patients with PsA, fatigue and disease activity (DAPSA) were not related. <h3>Conclusion</h3> In PsA and AS patients, fatigue seems to be related to subjective but not with objective (analytical) variables. In patients with AS, fatigue was related to disease activity, but in patients with PsA we found no correlation. <h3>References</h3> [1]Li, Aissaoui N et al. Fatigue in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: prevalence and relationships with disease-specific variables, psychological status, and sleep disturbance. Rheumatol Int. 2012 Jul;32:2117-24. [2]Conaghan PG et al Relationship of pain and fatigue with health-related quality of life and work in patients with psoriatic arthritis on TNFi: results of a multi-national real-world study RMD Open 2020;6:e001240. <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> NIL. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.